Long time no see.

I have been busy with life since the last time I posted here. 

I am on a writing spree with ahsoei writing One Punch DxD: Neo, lots of original story ideas I am gestating in my head for the sake of writing an original story I wanted to write with another friend of mine, especially one (spoilers) involving demons. For those of you that read Neo, there are a lot of hints regarding demons I want to implement, original and western interpretations.

Ahsoei is currently traveling abroad so I am taking a small break from Neo. 

I am sorry about my absence, and I admit that I have been addicted to Fallout New Vegas... and the mods. Old World Blues is the best DLC by far, the funniest. I like Dead Money for the punch of lore, not the gameplay.

Anyways, here is spoiler for the next chapter of Hunter Amongst Villains. I have an idea of what I want to write. I do not want a simple power fantasy fanfic as those start to bore me to death nowadays... I ate too many of those isekai fics to know better. 

I am starting to loathe Tensai Slime for the same reasons now after reading the manga despite there being some interesting elements in the story. 

Anyways, here you go. A slice of what I am working on.

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A pure beige room.

Hawks sat down on the chair, tied by rope and bound in iron.

His only companion was a giant troll-like creature with skin hard as stone, standing by the only door, wooden mahogany, his only path to freedom… and a growing army waiting on the other side, ready to do Garou’s bidding.

His only food was the nutrient slurry they keep injecting into his veins, not letting the gag remove from his mouth. His wings were regrown, but they still bound his wings in iron.

A shell of iron to immobilize him. He could not fly out even if he wanted to with all of his feathers.

He lost count of time already… there was nothing he could do other than ponder his fate and the consequences.

He imagined the Bureau firing him for his epic failure.

He imagined every citizen that looked up to him staring at him with complete disappointment, shamed and shunned by society and mocked by the villains.

He imagined… everything that could go wrong.

The possibilities of what Garou could do to him was limitless. Right now, Garou held the ax that could execute the current society if he wanted.

The silence broken the doorknob turned. Hawks looked up, his dreary eyes losing its gloom when he saw the Demon of Hosu himself walking in.

He was dragging a chair behind him, and following the Hero Hunter was a small coterie of what looked like bodyguards. The Golden Spider and Chisaki were behind him.

Garou was no longer wearing the mask, his single red eye staring at him as he pulled the chair forward until it faced Hawks.

Hawks stared at Garou as he sat down, now staring at him in the eyes.

“...Are you here to torture me? Haven't I suffered enough?” Hawks asked.

“I don't know. Have you?” Garou asked back. “I'm actually here to tell you something. My… new subordinates. Hmm. Subordinates. It is a word I never thought I'll say… this place has a way of bending people’s perspective.”

Hawks stared at Garou stoically. He was too tired to think at the moment.

“I am going to cut to the chase. They want me to pry every little secret you are hiding behind that head of your, every dirty little secret your Hero Association has in their skeleton closets.”

Hawks narrowed his eyes at Garou with defiance.

“So you fall so low to willingly torture Heroes willingly… not that I'm surprised given your cruel streak.”

“I'm not gonna use torture on you, that's against what I stand for.” Garou shot his accusation down. “No, I have someone with a special Quirk that will make you tell the truth whether you like it or not. I may not look like it, but I know how to make use of Quirks better than most of you Heroes. You just need the sense for it.”

Hawks’ eyes widened.

“And if you have the bright idea of killing yourself, I can just dangle your corpse in front of Hosu or whatever city out there that likes you the most. I will make sure that everyone in Hosu will know that you're a coward in the end, taking the easy way out. And I'm pretty sure you don't have some kind of secret Quirk that makes you hibernate or something. If so, surprise me if you can.”

Hawks was rattled, shaken as anxiety forced sweat to trickle down his pores. There were no words that could properly describe his situation other than complete checkmate.

“I'm a bit curious to learn the dark side of your Hero Society. The sheer good publicity out there looks more like a desperate door made to hide what's on the other side… so, I'm going to make you an offer.”

Hawks remained silent as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Answer the questions I have truthfully, or one of my people will chew up every little secret you have in your mind until you're… empty. Or have no flavor. Hmmm, can't seem to find the right words.”

“What the hell is the difference between the two options?” Hawks asked.

“I'm giving you a chance to satisfy my curiosity and leave your darkest secrets alone. You have a choice, Hero. No good choice, and you're alone. You deserve this for not bringing in an army… or have you heroes lost all hope to believe that numbers can no longer save you? Heh, well, it doesn't matter how many there are anyways.”

Hawks grit his teeth.

“If you continue this path, other heroes will rise against you. Not only Japan, but also the world-”

“Will do nothing. They won't lay a hand on us.” Garou smirked. “Though I will give them a chance in my arena. That is IF there is a hero worth my time in this world other than All Might.”

“And you think they will just let you do as you please?”

“Because I crushed All Might. And I have you that I can. You heroes will do anything to preserve this… poisonous peace. This is peace is built on the evil of ordinary men, the kind of evil you cannot, or will not, bother to solve.”

Not wanting to look at him, Hawks averted his eyes. His gaze accidentally landed on the ringleader of the Eight Precepts of Death, Overhaul, a few of his henchmen wearing their trademark plague masks.

A few were independents, one of them was wearing a dark brown duster and a full-body mask covering all of his face, one with a breathing apparatus and red lens peering back at Hawks. The man was armed with modern weapons, a heavily customized pistol at his hips while a two-handed rifle was slung on his back.

“...What happened to you?” Hawks asked. “You… this isn't your modus operandi. Until now, you are a lone wolf.”

It was an unusual shift of mindset. Even experts of criminal psychology depicted Garou as a criminal with a penchant for violence but…

He watched Garou staring at his eyes unflinching, stoically, his mien unreadable.

“...When I resumed my work out in your streets, a stranger in a stranger land… I was driven by a belief that I can solve all the world’s problems with violence.” Garou inhaled.

“...What changed your mind?” Hawks asked.

“After I crushed All Might and… everything I believed in is being challenged. This place, it doesn't follow the same rules where I am from. I watched and observed the news, how you heroes operate, the unnatural coordination and response time… there is a professionality there, cooperation that I'm pretty sure I didn't see back where I'm from. Though it's mostly because you're all so, goddamn weak…”

Hawks almost hissed at him for his insult.

“But in the process, I admit that you all have ingenuity when dealing with vermin that likes to hide behind the innocent and saving lives from disasters. Death is all to common where I'm from. You have no idea how many people usually die from certain disasters that the usual heroes could not overcome. It took a while for me to realize how inured, and ignored, I am to it all.”

“...And where are you from, exactly?” Hawks asked.

He couldn't imagine hearing something that involved a lot of death like that where he was from.

“If you think I'll spoil it, think again. It is more fun to let you all guess. I will give you a hint. Every location that comes to mind is wrong.”

What kind of hint was that? It didn't leave much room for imagination, and the cryptic vagueness was irritating.

“So what made you decide to lead an army?”

“I spent the last few months having a discussion on topics with my associate. Originally, I wanted…… eyes and ears to hunt down All Might since he is too elusive for my liking. And I wanted to prepare a surprise for him, something I cannot give with these hands.”

“What did you discuss?”

“What it means to change the world. What it takes to change the world. And… I realized something when I talked. It is strange to find someone with a similar mindset here, I'll have you know. It is even more surprising that I can gather this many people under me. Honestly, I didn't expect to have so many followers. Do you know that even more people are at our door wanting to join us after we threw you in here? There are so many that a part of me thinks that I don't even think it's real.”

Hawks could imagine that.

“And what I realized is that… I am sending the wrong message with my actions. Just like how All Might is doing it with his.”

“And what is that wrong message you are sending?”

“That violence solves everything… unhinged chaos is not strength. It is a poison, a weakness.” Garou said.

A sense of surprise blossomed in Hawks as he stared at Garou perplexed.

“That's…”

Hawks didn't expect to hear something like that from Garou. Or from anyone.

“It took me a while to realize that if I continued hunting heroes down like when I've started, it will only spread suffering. It will not… let's just say that I was under a very wrong impression the longer I observed the news. The vermin and trash living among us, I do not want them to follow me. They can rot in hell for all I care.”

“...Aren't you gathering the same vermin and trash?”

“I am filtering them out. There are still those that received the wrong message and impression of what I stand for. But that is enough about me… now, choose. Tell me your secrets willingly until I'm satisfied… or lose everything you have inside your head.”